KR101833029B1 - Systems and methods for packaging high density ssds - Google Patents

Abstract

In various embodiments, the high density solid state storage unit includes a cassette portion having a base portion and a plurality of flash cards. The cassette portion may be removably attached to the base portion to provide security of data stored on the plurality of flash cards. The cassette section provides partial physical security of the flash card through packaging of the enclosure and transfer of energy to the base station. The cassette section further provides for the security of data that is partially stored on the flash card through a trusted platform module (TPM) embodied as a removable module coupled to a universal serial bus (USB) style connector.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PACKAGING HIGH DENSITY SSDS [0002]

Information technology is undergoing dramatic changes. Virtualization is being replaced by cloud computing; The ubiquity of powerful handheld devices creates a new paradigm in mobility and social interaction; The creation of large amounts of information is a powerful new opportunity for big data analysis. Cloud computing has been called a "disruptive force" with the potential for long-term impacts on most industries.

In addition, there is no demand for this next generation of performance and capacity as much as in enterprise storage solutions. Organizations are generating more data than ever before, and data generation is growing at a tremendous pace.

The challenge to a new paradigm in computing is not just storage: speed and performance are equally important. The organization should be able to access its most important data as quickly as possible to act accordingly. Organizations need solutions that minimize latency, maximize I / O operations per second (IOPS), and deliver maximum capacity and performance in a cost-effective manner. Otherwise, the cost of delivering enough storage capacity and performance will compromise this new computing paradigm before it gets used to it.

The storage industry has made great strides in adapting to technologies that deliver more capacity and better performance without a corresponding increase in cost. Solutions such as compression, deduplication, and intelligent tiering have made current disk storage systems much more efficient and have enabled a widespread surge in virtualization that has taken steps to transition to cloud computing.

However, such a solution is only valid there: spinning disk storage has practical limitations on speed and performance. The real prospects for next-generation performance have always been in solid-state technology. Solid state technology uses non-volatile flash memory and therefore has no moving parts and means that the solid state solution operates much faster than conventional disk drives when reading and writing data. A single, enterprise-class, solid-state solution - can handle the transaction workloads of 100 conventional hard drives with greater reliability and lower power consumption in a much smaller physical space.

Most of the leading enterprise storage vendors include solid-state technology at limited capacities that are typically targeted for specific storage-intensive manufacturing applications that require very high levels of performance as part of its overall solution: video editing, Usage designs and high-end online transaction processing systems (OLTP) are some of the obvious choices.

The challenge of deploying solid state technology more universally across the enterprise - one of the costs - for all enterprise applications. NAND flash solution delivers 100 times the performance of conventional spinning disks? It can deliver up to 1 / 10th of power consumption - but it was also about 10 times more expensive to deploy.

In simple terms, the cost of deploying solid, enterprise-class solid-state technology was too high for a widespread deployment across all enterprise applications. However, such a reason will not be sufficient in the future, as the level of performance guaranteed by solid state technology becomes much greater for all applications across all types of businesses.

The reality is that the capacity and performance of solid-state technology will become an integral part of these foundations if the next-generation data center foundation provides the prospect of cloud computing, big data, and all other important aspects of the next era of computing. Enterprise-class solid state technology will be crucial to the underlying storage foundation - to drive all enterprise applications - to meet the ever-changing requirements of performance, speed, capacity, and agility.

Next-generation solid-state technology for the enterprise should be robust, reliable, fully functional, and cost-effective: it is a typical solid-state drive (SSD) that uses HDD protocols to help IT decision- When you think about it, you should go beyond what is available for the current solid state. The development of such solid-state technology has been useful for its initial applications, such as in laptop computing, but it is far from the right design for true enterprise-class solid state storage. The challenge facing the storage industry is figuring out how to deliver enterprise-class performance and reliability in solid-state technology at a reasonable cost to appeal to a wide range of companies.

Thus, what is required is to solve the problems associated with packaging and security of the solid state storage unit, some of which may be discussed herein. Additionally, what is required is to reduce defects associated with packaging and security of the solid state storage unit, some of which may be discussed herein.

The following portions of the disclosure provide a brief summary of one or more innovations, implementations, and / or examples found within this disclosure for purposes of providing a basic understanding of the subject matter of the invention. This Summary does not attempt to provide a broad overview of any particular embodiment or example. Additionally, this Summary is not intended to identify key / critical elements of an embodiment or example or to describe the scope of the subject matter of the present disclosure. Accordingly, one object of this summary may be to provide some innovations, implementations, and / or examples that are found in this disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In various embodiments, the high density solid state storage unit includes a cassette portion having a base portion and a plurality of flash cards. The cassette portion may be removably attached to the base portion to provide security of data stored on the plurality of flash cards. The cassette section provides partial physical security of the flash card through packaging of the enclosure and transfer of energy to the base station. The cassette section further provides for the security of data that is partially stored on the flash card through a trusted platform module (TPM) embodied as a removable module coupled to a universal serial bus (USB) style connector.

In an aspect, the data storage unit includes a base portion and a cassette portion. The cassette portion is configured to removably attach to the base portion. The cassette portion includes an interface that allows a plurality of solid state storage modules located within the cassette portion to access the base portion. A plurality of solid state storage modules are arranged in a vertical manner from the front of the cassette part to the back of the cassette part with a bridge board that electronically connects the interface at the back of the cassette part to one or more components at the front of the cassette part.

In one embodiment, the interface of the cassette portion is configured to provide both an electrical connection between the cassette portion and the base portion, as well as energy transfer from the cassette portion to the base portion. The interface transmits vibration and other mechanical energy from the cassette portion to the base station reduces the potential for physical damage to the cassette portion and any components therein.

In another aspect, the cassette portion further includes one or more guides. The guide is configured to assist in insertion of the cassette portion into the base portion. Each guide has a taper from one end of the cassette portion toward the other end of the cassette portion. The taper is configured to provide self guiding of the cassette portion upon insertion into the base portion. The one or more guides may be configured to provide energy transfer to the base portion and the base portion may be configured to receive energy transfer through the one or more guides. The at least one guide may further include a first wedge receiver opposite the second wedge receiver to assist initial insertion.

In a further embodiment, the cassette portion comprises various gap fill materials. The gap fill material may be disposed between the one or more internal components of the cassette portion and the plate surrounding the cassette portion. The gap fill material can cause changes in the manufacturing process. The gap fill material may be further configured to reduce vibration of the cassette portion.

In some embodiments, the base portion includes one or more structures that form a plurality of environmental zones. At least one of the plurality of environmental zones may be designated for the cassette section.

In another embodiment, the data cassette includes an interface for allowing the solid state storage module to access the base portion and a bridge board for electronically connecting the interface at the back of the cassette portion to one or more components at the front of the cassette portion And a plurality of solid state storage modules arranged in a vertical manner from a front surface of the cassette portion to a rear surface of the cassette portion.

In a further embodiment, the data cassette accepts a trusted platform module including an interface with a universal serial bus (USB) style connector configured to be inserted into the cassette portion. The trusted platform module further includes circuitry configured to manage access to data stored in the plurality of solid state storage modules from the base portion.

In some aspects, the interface is comprised of a USB 2.0 or 3.0 standard-A type plug with a flattened rectangle inserted into a USB 2.0 or 3.0 standard-A type plug receptacle of the cassette portion. The circuitry may be configured to manage access to data stored in the plurality of solid state storage modules from a base portion using circuitry configured to provide platform integrity. The circuitry may be configured to manage access to data stored in the plurality of solid state storage modules from a base portion using circuitry configured to manage an encryption key for data stored in the plurality of solid state storage modules. The circuitry may be configured to manage access to data stored in the plurality of solid state storage modules from a base portion using circuitry configured to manage both data and metadata stored in the plurality of solid state storage modules.

A further understanding of the nature of the subject matter of the present disclosure and the equivalents to the subject matter as well as any inherent or explicit advantages and improvements provided are beyond the scope of this disclosure by reference to the remainder of this disclosure, Must be realized in addition to the above.

For the purpose of reasonably illustrating and illustrating such innovations, implementations, and / or examples found within this disclosure, one or more of the accompanying drawings may be referred to. Additional details or embodiments used to describe one or more of the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the present invention to any currently claimed best mode of any claimed invention, any currently described implementation and / Shall not be regarded as a restriction on the scope of
1 is a diagram of a high density solid state storage unit having a base and a cassette in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
2A-2F are different views illustrating the high-density solid state storage unit of FIG. 1 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram of a cassette of the high density solid state storage unit of Figure 1 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Figures 4A-4D are different views illustrating the cassette of Figure 3 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating packaging of various internal elements of the cassette of Figure 1 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
6A-6B are diagrams illustrating elements of the cassette of FIG. 3 that provide security and vibration reduction in one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 7 is a view illustrating a cross-section of the cassette of Figure 3 with a dual temperature zone in one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating data security features of the cassette of Figure 3 in one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 9 is a simplified block diagram of a computer system that may be used to practice an embodiment of the present invention.

In various embodiments, the high density solid state storage unit includes a cassette portion having a base portion and a plurality of flash cards. The cassette portion may be removably attached to the base portion to provide security of data stored on the plurality of flash cards. The cassette section provides partial physical security of the flash card through packaging of the enclosure and transfer of energy to the base station. The cassette part further provides security of data that is partially stored on the flash card via a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) embodied as a removable module connected to a USB connector.

Introduce

1 is a diagram of a high density solid state storage unit 100 having a base and a cassette in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. The high density solid state storage unit 100 may be embodied as an all-flash enterprise solid state storage system. An example of a high density solid state storage unit 100 may be embodied similar to that provided by Skyera Inc. of San Jose, CA.

The solid state storage unit 100 typically includes two components, a base portion 110 and a cassette portion 120, in which hardware and / or software elements are arranged. The base portion 110 and the cassette portion 120 may include elements and components typically found in consumer and enterprise grade computer and storage equipment. This may include one or more processors with one or more cores, memory, bus, and interfaces, as well as power systems, ventilation systems, and the like. The solid state storage unit 100 is typically comprised of steel, aluminum, plastic, or other alloys and materials typically used in consumer or enterprise grade hardware.

The solid state storage unit 100 may be embodied similar to a conventional server storage unit including a hard drive based or similar storage device. The solid state storage unit 100 may be configured for installation into one or more server racks. Server racks can hold a number of rack mountable units that are typically designed to fit into a server rack. Each rack mountable unit may be one of several standard dimensions, generally measured as a condition or a " rack unit ". A rack unit, U or RU, is a unit of measurement used to describe the height of equipment intended to be mounted in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack. The 19-inch (48.26 cm) or 23 inch (58.42 cm) dimensions refer to the width of the equipment that mounts the frame in the rack, ie, the width of equipment that can be mounted inside the rack. One rack unit 1U is 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) high. The size of one rack-mounted equipment is often described by the number of "U" s. For example, one rack unit is often referred to as "1U", a two rack unit is referred to as "2U", and so on.

The high density solid state storage 100 may also be any computing device such as a personal computer (PC), a workstation, a mini computer, a mainframe, a cluster or a cluster of computing devices, a laptop, a laptop, a netbook, a PDA, Devices, game consoles, and the like.

Generally, the base portion 110 is configured to control and manage the operation of the solid state storage unit 100 for external access to data stored in the cassette portion 120. In various implementations, base portion 110 may include one or more central processing units (CPUs), memory, and interfaces. Base portion 110 includes hardware and / or software components configured to perform logic operations and computations, input / output operations, machine communications, and the like. The base portion 110 may comprise one or more computer components, such as one or more data processors, one or more graphics processors or graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more memory subsystems, one or more storage subsystems, one or more input / ) Interface, a communication interface, and the like. Base portion 110 may include one or more systems for interconnecting components and providing functionality, such connectivity and inter-device communication.

In various implementations, base portion 110 includes software that enables communication over a network, e.g., a local area network or the Internet, using one or more communication protocols, such as HTTP, TCP / IP, RTP / . In some implementations, other communication software and / or transport protocols, such as IPX, UDP, etc., may also be used to communicate with the host over the network or with devices that are directly or indirectly connected to the base portion 110 . In a further embodiment, base portion 110 may include software that enables network attached storage (NAS) communications, direct attached storage (DAS) communications, storage area network (SAN) communications, and the like. In some implementations, other data storage software, transport protocols, or interconnects may also be used, such as ATA ATA over Ethernet (AoE) mapping over Ethernet, Fiber Channel protocol (FCP) mapping over SCSI over Fiber Channel, Mapping of iSCSI over Ethernet (FCoE), ESCON over Fiber Channel (FICON), SCSI over Ethernet, HyperSCSI mapping, FCP over iCP or SANoIP mapping, SCSI over TCP / IP iSCSI mapping, iSCSI over InfiniBand RDMA (iSER) ISCSI extensions to storage networks can also be built using SAS and SATA technologies.

In some embodiments, the base portion 110 can maintain various temperature zones using one or more of the techniques detailed below.

In general, the cassette portion 120 is configured to manage access to data stored in a plurality of storage modules located within the cassette portion 120. The cassette portion 120 may include one or more central processing units (CPU), memory, and an interface. Cassette portion 120 may include hardware and / or software components configured to perform logic operations and calculations, input / output operations, machine communications, and the like. The cassette portion 120 may include one or more computer components, such as one or more data processors, one or more graphics processors or a graphics processing unit (GPU), one or more memory subsystems, one or more storage subsystems, one or more input / ) Interface, a communication interface, and the like. Cassette portion 120 may include one or more systems for interconnecting components and providing functionality, such connectivity and inter-device communication.

In various implementations, the cassette portion 120 is configured to removably attach to the base portion 110. This allows the cassette portion 120 to be physically removed from the base portion 110 to provide enhanced data security. Cassette portion 120 may be physically fixed to further prevent unauthorized access to data stored thereon. The cassette portion 120 may be configured to be insertable only in the corresponding base portion 110 or the cassette portion 120 may be configured to be insertable into any compatible base portion. In some implementations, the cassette portion 120 relies on hardware and / or software components of the base portion 110 that are configured to perform logical operations and computations, input / output operations, machine communications, and the like, .

The cassette portion 120 typically includes a plurality of storage modules. The plurality of storage modules may be arranged side by side. The plurality of storage modules may be arranged in a vertical orientation extending from the shared circuit board. Each storage module preferably includes a solid state memory capable of providing 8 to 10 terabytes of storage capacity. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the amount of storage capacity on each storage module is primarily limited by the available capacity of the memory device. Advances in solid state memory technology will allow a single memory device to retain several terabytes of data in the near future. In this case, the storage capacity of each memory module can be greatly increased by using such a high-capacity memory device. Thus, the number of memory capacities described above is based on currently available technology. These numbers are merely provided as an example and should not be construed as limiting the claimed invention in any way. Those skilled in the art will recognize that storage capacity may be further increased using the concepts described in this application as newer technology is available in the future.

2A-2F are different views illustrating the high-density solid state storage unit 100 of FIG. 1 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. In such an example, FIG. 2A shows a front view of the high density solid state storage unit 100. As can be appreciated, the base portion 110 may include one or more vents that may be mounted with one or more fans, for example to assist cooling of the internal electronics, to blow air into the interior of the base portion 110 . The cassette portion 120 includes one or more vents to which one or more fans may be mounted to blow air into the interior of the cassette portion 110, for example, to support cooling of the internal electronics and a plurality of storage modules do.

The cassette portion 120 may include one or more physical mechanisms that are physically fixed, connected, or coupled to the base portion 110. For example, FIG. 2A illustrates one or more screws that secure the cassette portion 120 to the base portion 110. The cassette portion 120 may include one or more guides, rails, and tracks of other features that facilitate the cassette portion 120 to be secured to the base portion 110. In some aspects, the interface between the cassette portion 120 and the base portion of the securing mechanism provides multiple purposes such as providing electrical connection as well as providing energy transfer to reduce or attenuate vibrations in the cassette portion 120 Can be achieved.

FIG. 2B shows a rear view of the high-density solid state storage unit 100 opposite to the front view of FIG. 2A. As can be seen, the base portion 110 includes one or more vents to which one or more fans can be mounted to blow air from the base portion 110 to the outside. Base portion 110 may include one or more interfaces, such as Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), monitor port, etc., that facilitate connection to external components. The base portion 110 may further include one or more power sources in various known configurations.

2C shows a left side view of the high density solid state storage unit 100. FIG. The base portion 110 may include one or more openings, interfaces, etc. that allow the base portion 110 to be secured to the rack or cabinet for operation. 2 (d) shows a right-side view of the high-density solid-state storage unit 100. FIG. FIG. 2E shows a top view of the high-density solid state storage unit 100. FIG. FIG. 2F shows a bottom view of the high-density solid state storage unit 100. FIG.

In these examples, the removable nature of the cassette portion 120 from the base portion 110 is more clearly illustrated. Allowing the cassette portion 120 to be easily removed from the base portion 110 provides a variety of advantages. Conventionally, hard drives provide a medium for removable storage. However, although the density of the hard drive was increased, its volume or form factor remained the same. The cassette portion 120 provides high-density storage with the benefit of elimination for further protection of the data stored thereon.

The ability to remove the cassette portion 120 from the base portion 110 also provides a challenge, some of which are discussed in more detail below. For example, there is a need to provide electrical and physical coupling between the base portion 110 and the cassette portion 120. The electrical and physical coupling needs to be strong enough to withstand the product life of the insertion and removal cycles. In yet another example, the insertion should be relatively easy to perform and fix. In another example, there is a need to reduce possible noise and vibration.

Cassette packaging

In various implementations, cassette portion 120 includes one or more features directed to packaging a plurality of storage modules. One feature further provides energy transfer between the base portion 110 and the cassette portion 120, providing electrical and physical coupling therebetween. Other features provide a relatively easy insertion using a tapered guide. To reduce manufacturing noise and vibration as well as cause manufacturing process variations, the cassette portion 120 may include features to fill the gap or separate components.

Figure 3 is a view of the cassette portion 120 of the high density solid state storage unit 100 of Figure 1 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. In various implementations, the cassette portion 120 includes one or more features that provide access to data stored in a plurality of storage modules and the security of the data. Some of these features are related to how packaging of the cassette portion 120, e.g., how data can be physically fixed through removal of the cassette portion 120 from the base portion 110. For example, the cassette portion 120 may be physically removed from the base portion 110 which may be secured in a secure position, such as a valuables storage or safe. In one aspect, the cassette portion 120 includes all the data and metadata needed to resume operation when reinserted into the base portion 110.

Some of these features are related to how packaging of the cassette part 120, e.g., multiple storage modules and other hardware components of the cassette part 120, remain intact during the selection of the high density solid state storage unit 100. Mechanical movement, thermal expansion and contraction, and other energy contamination of the fan can damage sensitive components, electrical connections, or corrupt data. In one aspect, the cassette portion 120 includes at least one point at which heat and vibration can be transmitted to the base portion 110 to allow the components of the cassette portion 120 to operate within optimal conditions.

In various implementations, some of these features include how the cassette portion 120 includes a trusted platform model that allows for the security of the data stored in the cassette portion 120, e.g., the encrypted data stored therein Lt; / RTI > Even with the cassette portion 120 physically removed from the base portion 110 and secured in a secure position, the user can still remove the trusted platform module (or key) and store the key in a separate location. The combination of the key and cassette part 120 is required because the cassette part 120 may contain all the data and metadata necessary to resume operation when inserted into the base part 110.

Thus, the cassette portion 120 can be packaged to secure the data by providing an optimal environment in which the elements can operate. Moreover, the cassette portion 120 can be physically removed from the base portion 110 to secure data from theft, fire, or other physical damage. Additionally, the key for the cassette part 120 can be physically removed, allowing the cassette 120 to remain in the base part 110, which makes the data safe from unauthorized access.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the cassette portion 120 may include a top plate 310 and a bottom plate (not shown) that may be removed to allow access to the internal components. In various embodiments, the cassette portion 120 includes a layer of gap fill material between the inner component and the top plate. Some examples of gap fill materials include foam or other vibration / acoustic damping material. The cassette portion 120 may also include a layer of gap fill material between the inner component and the bottom plate. The gap fill material can further explain the process variations of the fabrication process while separating the components and / or structural elements from each other. The gap fill material may further provide vibration compensation of internal components of the cassette portion 120, such as a fan, etc., required for optimal operation. The cassette portion 120 may further include other conventional elements such as screws, buttons, latches, access ports, etc. to accomplish one or more of the purposes. Cassette portion 120 may further include one or more deformation suppression or tamper evident features.

4A-4D are different views illustrating the cassette portion 120 of FIG. 3 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. For example, FIG. 4A shows a front view of cassette portion 120. The cassette portion 110 includes one or more vents through which one or more fans can be mounted to blow air into the interior of the cassette portion 110. 4A illustrates one or more screws that secure the cassette portion 120 to the base portion 110 as well as one or more screws that secure the front plate to the cassette portion 120. [

4A also illustrates an implementation of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) (also referred to herein as a "key"). The TPM or key may be used to secure data stored in a plurality of high density flash based storage modules. Keys can take a variety of forms. In such an example, the key is shown as a universal serial bus (USB) style thumb drive or fob. There are several types of USB connectors, including some that were added during the development of the USB specification. The original USB specification details Standard-A and Standard-B plugs and receptacles. The USB 2.0 specification adds mini-B plugs and receptacles.

The TPM or key can take advantage of the standard of customized pin configuration for USB style connectors. Generally, the USB 2.0 standard -A type USB plug is a flat rectangle inserted into a USB 2.0 standard -A type receptacle. The Standard-B plug has a square shape with an inclined outer corner.

FIG. 4B shows a back view of the high-density solid state storage unit 100 opposite to the front view of FIG. 4A. As can be seen, the cassette portion 110 includes one or more vents that pass when air is delivered from the cassette portion 120 to the base portion 110. The cassette portion 120 may include one or more interfaces to facilitate connection (both structural and electrical) to the base portion 110. 4C shows the left side of the cassette part 120. Fig. The cassette portion 120 may include one or more openings, interfaces, and the like. Figure 4d shows the right side view of the cassette part (120). In these examples, the cassette portion 120 includes one or more mechanisms, such as guides and posts, that facilitate interconnection with the base portion 110.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating packaging of various internal elements of the cassette portion 120 of FIG. 1 in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 shows a top view of the cassette portion 120 with the top plate 310 removed. The cassette portion 120 typically includes a plurality of storage modules 510 arranged side by side in a vertical orientation.

The storage module 510 may be used in the high density solid state storage unit 100. For example, storage module 510 may include a flash controller and one or more flash modules. A flash controller represents one or more processors, FPGAs, ASICs, or other microcontrollers including hardware and / or software elements configured to execute logic or program code or to provide application-specific functionality. The flash module represents a flash memory module or other solid state device (SSD). Some examples of storage module 510 are provided by Skyera Inc. of San Jose, CA.

To maximize the packaging of the storage module 510, the cassette portion 120 includes a bridge board 520. The bridge board 520 is electrically coupled between the front portion 530 of the cassette portion 120 and the rear portion 540 of the cassette portion 120 using substantially the same form factor as one of the storage modules 510. [ . The front portion 530 includes components that are configured to interface with the TMP or key as well as operate one or more fans, buttons, switches, etc. that are accessible to the user when interfacing with the front of the high density solid state storage unit 100 . The back portion 540 may include components configured to interface with the components of the base portion 110. The rear portion 540 may be further extended, such as a circuit board having a receptacle interface for the storage module 510 and the bridge board 520, respectively. The bridge board 520 may be further configured to provide a communication line between a front portion 530 of the cassette portion 120 and a rear portion 540 of the cassette portion 120. [

6A-6B are diagrams illustrating elements of the cassette portion 120 of FIG. 3 that provide security and vibration reduction in one embodiment of the invention. In such an example, FIG. 6A illustrates an interface 610 that may provide a physical connection point that accepts a connection from the base portion 110. The interface 620 may provide both the physical and electrical connections to the base portion 110. The interface 620 is further configured to transmit vibration or other harmonics associated with the cassette portion 120 to the base portion 110. Thus, the interface 620 reduces stress on the components of the cassette portion 110, protects the interface connector, and physically secures the cassette portion 120 to the base portion 110. [

6A further illustrates one or more guides 630A and 630B. The guides 630A and 630B are configured to facilitate insertion and removal of the cassette portion 120 into the base portion 110. [ The guides 630A and 630B may further provide energy transfer from the cassette portion 120 to the base portion 110. [ Figure 6b further shows guide 630B. The guide 630B tapers in the area 640 to allow the cassette station 120 to pull itself into the base station 110. [ The areas 640 facing each other form a wedge receiver that receives the guide component of the base portion 110. [ Moreover, the guide 630B not only provides better fit but also is gentle to form the upper and lower channels from front to back as a self-guide. Conventional guides are only cut off at right angles and do not account for process variations. Thus, although the guide may fit into its receptacle, it may not be entirely fixed. In contrast, guides 630A and 630B provide a taper that ensures secure fit. Fixed fit not only provides additional surface area where energy and vibration transmission can occur, but also provides protection against dropout.

As discussed above, the cassette portion 120 includes features in various aspects to provide security of the data stored therein. For example, the cassette portion 120 can be physically removed from the base portion 110 that can be secured in a secure position. In one aspect, the cassette portion 120 includes all of the data and metadata necessary to resume operation when inserted into the base portion 110. In another example, the cassette portion 120 includes at least one point at which heat and vibration can be transmitted to the base portion 110 to allow components of the cassette portion 120 to operate within optimal conditions.

Dual temperature selection

The cassette portion 120 draws a cooling system that draws air into the front of the cassette portion 120 and blows air over important components such as the storage module 520 before venting air out of the rear side of the cassette portion 120 Can be implemented. Because the back side of the cassette portion 120 is vented to a portion of the base portion 110, one or more features may be provided for a plurality of environmental spaces. These features not only integrate the area required for venting, but also minimize interference between individual zones.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a cross-section of the cassette portion 120 of Figure 3 with dual temperature zones in one embodiment of the invention. In such an example, the base station 110 has one or more features to provide a dual environmental zone. The need for multiple environmental zones may be based on requirements for optimal operation of a particular component. Thus, some components may be operable under different conditions and these considerations may be used to design a smaller and more efficient enclosure.

In such an example, the structure 710 of FIG. 7 is configured to separate the airflow exiting the cassette portion 120 and the airflow exiting the base portion 110. In such an embodiment, the structure 710 forms a ramp separating the two air streams into a zone 720 and a zone 730. The structure 710 may include one or more deformations, lamps, wings, obstructions, enclosures, etc., that separate the space into a plurality of sections or partitions.

Thus, the components of the cassette portion 120 may be operable under conditions different from those of the base portion 110. Thus, the cooling strategy of the cassette part 110 may differ from the cooling strategy of the base part 110 without causing substantial interference with other areas or including efficiency of other areas. The fact that at least one zone includes the separation zone designated for the removal cassette also allows a smaller and more efficient enclosure design for both the cassette 120 and the base portion 110.

Data Security

As discussed above, the high density solid state storage unit 100 includes one or more features that secure both the physical and cryptographic data stored in the cassette 120. In one embodiment, the high density solid state storage unit 100 utilizes a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). In various implementations, the TPM or key is a special removal module utilizing a USB-style connector. The key includes the hardware and / or information needed to access the data stored in the storage module 520 under its protection. The key may store an encryption key specific to the cassette station 120. The key can also provide platform integrity in that the high density solid state storage unit 100 has a specified hardware configuration and proves that it is using the designated software.

Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating data security features of the cassette station 120 of Figure 3 in one embodiment of the invention. In such an example, the TPM chip 800 includes a key pair called an authorization key (EK). The pair is maintained inside the TPM chip 800 and can not be accessed by software. The storage root key (SRK) is created when a user or an administrator takes ownership of the system. Such a key pair may be generated by the TPM chip 800 based on an authorization key and an owner specified password. A second key, referred to as a proof identity key (AIK), may be used to protect the cassette station 120 for unauthorized firmware and software modifications.

Thus, even though the cassette portion 120 is physically removed from the base portion 110, all data and metadata needed to resume operation when inserted into the base portion 110 are securely held by the TPM chip 800 . Simply removing the TPM chip 800 from the cassette station 120 further preserves the security of the data even if physical access to the storage module therein is later obtained.

Thus, in various implementations, the data stored in the cassette portion 120 can be secured by removing the TPM chip 800. The cassette 120 may be left in the base portion 110 while preventing unauthorized access. With the cassette portion 120 physically removed from the base portion 110, the TPM chip 800 can be removed and further stored in the detached position. Even though the cassette portion 110 is reconnected to the base portion 120 in unauthorized use, the data stored in the cassette portion 120 remains encrypted and remains secure in some other way. In one aspect, cassette portion 120 and base portion 110 may refuse to operate without the presence of TPM chip 800. A combination of the TPM chip 800 and the cassette part 120 is required when the cassette part 120 includes all the data and metadata necessary to resume operation when inserted into the base part 110. [

The TPM chip 800 may take various forms. In such an example, the TPM chip 800 is shown as a USB style thumb drive or fob. The TPM chip 800 includes a USB 2.0 standard-A type USB plug with a flattened rectangle inserted into the USB 2.0 standard-A type receptacle of the cassette portion 120. Most hardware-based secure devices that handle boot process integrity or data protection are modules that are typically connected to systems that use proprietary interfaces designed by manufacturing. Additionally, the module is often configured as a small daughterboard style card or module that is connected to an anti-tamper or anti-distortion fastener in the enclosure of the system. The TPM chip 800 provides a connector that utilizes a well-known standard configuration. The TPM chip 800 when embodied in a USB stylus thumb drive or fob provides something more user friendly.

conclusion

9 is a simplified block diagram of a computer system 900 that may be used to practice an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the computer system 900 includes a processor 910 that communicates with a number of peripheral devices via a bus subsystem 920. These peripheral devices include a storage subsystem 930, an input device 960, an output device 970, and a network interface subsystem 980, including a memory subsystem 940 and a file storage subsystem 950 can do.

Bus subsystem 920 provides a mechanism by which the various components and subsystems of computer system 900 communicate with each other as intended. Although the bus subsystem 920 is schematically illustrated as a single bus, alternative implementations of the bus subsystem may utilize multiple buses.

The storage subsystem 930 may be configured to store basic programming and data structures that provide the functionality of the present invention. Software (code modules or instructions) that provide the functionality of the present invention may be stored in storage subsystem 930. These software modules or instructions may be executed by the processor (s) 910. [ The storage subsystem 930 may also provide storage for storing data used in accordance with the present invention. The storage subsystem 930 may include a memory subsystem 940 and a file / disk storage subsystem 950.

Memory subsystem 940 includes a plurality of memories including a main random access memory (RAM) 942 for storing instructions and data during program execution and a read only memory (ROM) 944 in which fixed instructions are stored can do. The file storage subsystem 950 provides permanent (non-volatile) storage for programs and data files and may include a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive with associated removable media, a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, A DVD, an optical drive, a removable media cartridge, and other similar storage media.

The input device 960 may be a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a trackball, a touchpad, or a graphics tablet, a scanner, a barcode scanner, a touch screen integrated into a display, an audio input device such as a voice recognition system, . ≪ / RTI > In general, the use of the term "input device" is intended to encompass all possible types of devices and mechanisms for inputting information into computer system 900.

The output device 970 may include a display subsystem, a printer, a fax machine, or a non-visual display such as an audio output device. The display subsystem may be a cathode ray tube (CRT), a flat panel device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), or a projection device. Generally, the use of the term "output device" is intended to include all possible types of devices and mechanisms for outputting information from the computer system 900.

The network interface subsystem 980 provides the interface to other computer systems, devices, and networks, e.g., the communications network 990. The network interface subsystem 980 serves as an interface for receiving data from the computer system 900 and for transmitting the data to other systems. Some examples of the communication network 990 are a private network, a public network, a private line, the Internet, an Ethernet network, a token ring network, a fiber optic network, and the like.

The computer system 900 may be of various types including personal computers, portable computers, workstations, network computers, mainframes, kiosks, or any other data processing system. Because of the ever-changing nature of computers and networks, the description of computer system 900 shown in FIG. 9 is intended only as a specific example for the purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of a computer system. Many different configurations are possible with more or fewer components than the system shown in FIG.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, various modifications, alterations, alternative constructions, and equivalents are also encompassed within the scope of the invention. The described invention is not limited to operation in any particular data processing environment, but rather operates freely within a plurality of data processing environments. Additionally, while the present invention has been described using a particular series of transactions and steps, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of the invention is not limited to the transactions and steps of the series described.

In addition, while the present invention has been described using specific combinations of hardware and software, it should be appreciated that other combinations of hardware and software are also within the scope of the present invention. The present invention may be implemented by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof.

Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will be apparent, however, that additions, subtractions, deletions, other modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Various implementations of any one or more of the inventions in which the teachings may be provided within the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of logic in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. Logic is a set of instructions that is adapted to instruct a central processing unit (CPU or processor) of a logic machine to perform a set of steps that may be disclosed in various implementations of the invention provided in this disclosure, Readable medium, a machine-readable medium, a machine-readable medium, a machine-readable medium, a computer-readable storage medium, or other computer / machine-readable medium. The logic may form part of a software program or a computer program product as the code module is implemented as a processor or an information processing device of a computer system when executed to perform a method or process in various implementations of the invention provided within this disclosure . Based on the teachings provided herein and the teachings provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that any of the disclosed acts or functionality of various implementations of one or more of the provided inventions may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, , Alternatives, and / or methods.

The disclosed embodiments, implementations, and various implementations of any of those inventions in which the teachings may be provided within this disclosure are merely exemplary in order to convey reasonably clear to those skilled in the art the teachings of this disclosure. These implementations and implementations may be described with reference to illustrative drawings or specific drawings, so that various modifications or alterations to the described methods and / or the specific structures may become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such modifications, adaptations, or changes that may be made to the teachings of the present disclosure, as well as those taught herein, should be considered within the scope of one or more of the inventions for which teachings may be provided within the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the description and drawings are not to be considered limiting in nature, as it is understood that the invention provided herein is by no means restricted to such implementations as specifically illustrated.

Accordingly, the above description and any accompanying drawings, illustrations and figures are intended as illustrative and are not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, the scope of any invention presented in this disclosure should not be construed to be limited with reference to the embodiments described in the foregoing description and drawings, but instead refer to the pending claims with its full scope or equivalents instead. .

Claims (20)

In the data storage unit,
A base portion; And
A cassette portion configured to removably attach to the base portion and having an interface to allow the solid state storage module located within the cassette portion to access the base portion;
/ RTI >
Wherein the cassette portion comprises a removable trust platform module configured to provide security to the solid state storage module by authorizing operation of the cassette portion and the base portion when the cassette portion is connected to the base portion Including,
The plurality of solid state storage modules may include a bridge board for electronically connecting the interface on the back side of the cassette part to one or more components on the front side of the cassette part and from the front side of the cassette part to the back side of the cassette part And is arranged in a vertical manner. 2. The data storage unit of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to provide both mechanical connection between the cassette portion and the base portion, as well as electrical connection between the cassette portion and the base portion. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the cassette portion further comprises at least one guide disposed on each of the one or more surfaces, wherein each guide has a taper from one end of the cassette portion toward the other end of the cassette portion , A data storage unit. 4. The data storage unit of claim 3, wherein the at least one guide comprises a plurality of oppositely directed circular channels. 4. The data storage unit of claim 3, wherein the at least one guide comprises a first wedge receiver opposite the second wedge receiver. 2. The data storage unit of claim 1, wherein the cassette portion further comprises a gap fill material positioned between the one or more internal components of the cassette portion and a plate surrounding the cassette portion. 7. The data storage unit of claim 6, wherein the gap fill material is also configured to reduce vibrations within the cassette portion. 2. The data storage unit of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises one or more structures forming a plurality of environmental zones, at least one of the plurality of environmental zones being designated for the cassette portion. delete The data storage unit of claim 1, wherein the removable trusted platform module utilizes a universal serial bus (USB) style connector. The data storage unit of claim 1, wherein the removable trusted platform module utilizes a universal serial bus (USB) style connector configured to be inserted into the cassette portion. In the data cassette,
An interface that allows the solid state storage module to access the base portion;
A removable trust platform module configured to provide security to the solid state storage module by authorizing operation of the cassette portion and the base portion when the cassette portion is connected to the base portion; And
A plurality of solid bodies arranged vertically from a front side of the cassette part to a rear side of the cassette part with a bridge board for electronically connecting the interface on the back side of the cassette part to one or more components on the front side of the cassette part State storage module
. 13. The data cassette of claim 12, wherein the interface is configured to provide both an electrical connection to the base portion and an electrical connection between the data cassette and the base portion. 13. The data cassette of claim 12, further comprising one or more guides having a taper that provides self guiding when the data cassette is inserted into the base portion from the back of the data cassette toward the front of the data cassette. 15. The data cassette of claim 14, wherein the at least one guide is configured to provide energy transfer to the base portion. 15. The data cassette of claim 14, wherein the at least one guide comprises a first wedge receiver opposite the second wedge receiver. 13. The data cassette of claim 12, further comprising a gap fill material positioned between at least one internal component of the data cassette and a top plate of the data cassette or a bottom plate of the data cassette. 18. The data cassette of claim 17, wherein the gap fill material is further configured to reduce vibrations within the cassette portion. delete 13. The data cassette of claim 12, wherein the removable trusted platform module utilizes a universal serial bus (USB) style connector configured to be inserted into the cassette portion.

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